Ginkgo Biloba Supplement Information From WebMD For thousands of years, leaves from the Ginkgo biloba tree have been a common treatment in Chinese medicine. In the U.S., many take ginkgo supplements in the belief that they will improve memory and sharpen thinking. Why do people take ginkgo? Ginkgo improves blood flow to the brain and acts as an antioxidant . These effects may translate into some benefits for certain medical problems, but the results have been mixed. Some studies have found that in healthy people, ginkgo might modestly boost memory and cognitive speed. Other studies have not found a benefit. Several ginkgo studies have shown that it can help with memory problems caused by dementia or Alzheimer ’s disease. It seems to help prevent the progression of dementia symptoms , especially if the dementia is thought to be the result of atherosclerotic vascular disease. It does not seem to prevent dementia or Alzheimer ’s, however. There's good evidence that ginkgo might ease leg pain caused by clogged arteries . It might also help with some other circulation problems. In addition, ginkgo may relieve PMS symptoms, like breast tenderness and mood changes.

Researchers have studied ginkgo for many other conditions, including ADHD , depression and other psychological conditions, multiple sclerosis , and tinnitus from a vascular origin. Some people are also using ginkgo to prevent high altitude sickness, though studies have not yet established that it’s effective for that. Many uses of ginkgo show promise, but more research needs to be done. How much ginkgo should you take? There is no standard dose of ginkgo biloba supplements . However, in medical studies, almost all clinical trials have used a standardized extract of ginkgo, standardized to 24% flavone glycosides and 6% terpene lactones. A common dose in people with dementia is 40 milligrams of that extract three times daily. For improving cognitive function in healthy people, studies have used between 120 milligrams to 600 milligrams of the extract daily. No matter why you're using ginkgo, experts suggest starting at a low dose (120 miligrams daily) and increasing gradually. Get advice from your doctor. Continued Can you get ginkgo naturally from foods? The only source of ginkgo is the ginkgo tree.

Most ginkgo supplements are derived from the leaves. Ginkgo seeds can be dangerous, especially when raw. What are the risks of taking ginkgo? Side effects. Ginkgo leaf supplements are generally safe. In some people, they can cause headache , dizziness , heart palpitations , nausea , gas, and diarrhea . Allergies to ginkgo can trigger rashes or more serious effects. Risks. If you have a bleeding disorder, or are planning surgery, talk to your doctor before using ginkgo. Don't take ginkgo if you have any medical conditions -- especially diabetes , epilepsy , or fertility problems -- unless your doctor recommends it. Do not eat untreated parts of the ginkgo plant. Uncooked ginkgo seeds can cause seizures and death. Interactions. If you take any medicines or supplements regularly, talk to your doctor before you start using ginkgo supplements. They could interact with blood thinners , aspirin , NSAID painkillers, anti-platelet drugs, anticonvulsants, antidepressants , diabetes medicines, drugs that affect the liver and supplements like garlic, saw palmetto, St. Johns wort, and yohimbe .

Ginkgo might reduce the effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT.) Given the potential risks, ginkgo is not recommended for children or for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding . WebMD Medical Reference Reviewed by David T. Derrer, MD on December 07, 2014 Sources What are some examples of ginkgos? + Example Yashsavi Share Jan 7, 2015 Ginkgos are unique species of trees with no living relatives therefore no examples. You are like asking give some examples of different species or breeds of humans. So firstly confirm your question.It would be more like big ginkgo, small gingko ,minute gingko and medium gingko. Was this helpful? Let the contributor know! Yes Ginkgo biloba | Plants & Fungi At Kew Discover more Geography and distribution Ginkgo biloba is native to China, where the survival of wild trees is not secure. Examples can be found in China on Mount Xitianmu in the Zhejiang Province, but it is unclear whether these are the last truly wild trees or descendents from temple gardens. The attractive maidenhair tree has been widely planted as an ornamental, and cultivated individuals exist around the world.

Trees were traditionally planted in temple gardens in Japan and China, but today are popular in towns worldwide and are even farmed in plantations for their medicinal properties. Ginkgo biloba seeds with fleshy outer coat Description Overview: Trees reach up to 40 m in height and older individuals tend to have a more spreading appearance with irregular branches. The deeply fissured brown bark may appear cork-like in older individuals. Leaves: The characteristic greenish-yellow leaves are fan-shaped and composed of two or more distinct lobes; the Latin species name biloba refers to this fact. The common name of maidenhair tree pertains to the similarity of the leaves to those of maidenhair ferns (Adiantum species). In autumn, the leaves of Ginkgo biloba turn a beautiful golden hue before falling to the ground. Seeds: It takes 20-35 years for maidenhair trees to reach maturity and start bearing seeds. Male and female trees are separate; male trees have pollen-producing catkins while female trees, once fertilised, bear rounded, yellowish seeds with a fleshy outer coat (resembling a plum in appearance).

These fall to the ground in the autumn and as the seed coat decays it exudes a rancid butter-like smell. Threats and conservation This fascinating species grew in the gardens of temples in the East and the first seeds were brought to Europe in the 1700s. The decline of Ginkgo biloba in the wild (it is native only to China) is likely to have been a result of deforestation. It is uncertain whether the maidenhair tree still persists in the wild and at present there are no conservation projects in place. Cultivated trees, however, are found throughout the world, and a multi-million dollar industry has cashed in on the medicinal properties of the leaves. As a result, it is likely that this ancient tree will stand the test of time. Uses Medicinal Ginkgo biloba has been used in Chinese traditional medicine for centuries. Today, it is also cultivated for use in Western medicine. The leaves are used in herbal remedies for cognitive complaints, such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and vertigo. The phytochemistry and bioactivity of Ginkgo biloba have been the subject of extensive research.

Ginkgo biloba seeds and leaf preserved in spirit Other uses Ginkgo biloba has a long history of cultural importance in Asia. Confucius was said to have given his teaching whilst sitting under a ginkgo tree, which is one of the reasons the species is revered in Chinese tradition. It is planted as an ornamental or bonsai tree, or as a shade tree. Male trees are preferable due to the unpleasant smell of the flesh-coated seeds dropped by female trees. Despite the smell, these are a delicacy, hence the name ‘silver apricot’ in Chinese. The seeds, known as ginkgo nuts, are eaten roasted or in birds' nest soup. The taste is said to be similar to that of a pine nut or sweet chestnut when baked. Ginkgotoxin (4'-O-methylpyridoxine), a constituent of the seeds, may cause poisoning unless the seeds are thoroughly cooked. Cultivation Male trees are usually selected for cultivation, as female ones bear strong-smelling flesh-coated seeds that some find repulsive. These rounded structures are fleshy and yellow, containing a large seed.

At Kew the seeds are collected during the autumn for production of seedlings and for rootstocks for grafting. The seeds are prepared by removal of the flesh, and then by placing them in a cold store for stratification. The seeds are sown into open gritty compost in the spring. Tony Hall, who manages this collection at Kew, reports that germination usually takes eight to ten weeks and is predictable, with a similar performance from all the seeds. Germination takes place in a cool greenhouse, kept frost free (at a minimum of 5 °C), in natural light. The seedlings are generally free from pests and diseases. They are planted out in the Arboretum Nursery field when large enough. This is usually the following spring. After two years the plants can be as tall as 1.5 m, at which point they are planted out into their final positions in the garden. Maidenhair tree at Kew There is a fine collection of Ginkgo biloba cultivars in the areas around the Waterlily Pond and the Bamboo Garden at Kew.

In 2009 Her Majesty the Queen planted one of the seedlings raised in the Arboretum Nursery near to the Orangery for Kew’s 250th anniversary celebrations. Perhaps the most well known tree of this species is the ‘Old Lion’ west of the Princess of Wales Conservatory. This was one of the first of this species to be planted in Britain, dating back to at least 1762 - less than 40 years after the first specimens had been introduced to Europe from China. It is one of the few trees at Kew remaining from the first botanic garden started by Princess Augusta, George III's mother, in 1759. Its hardiness was unknown, so it was planted against the wall of the Great Stove glasshouse for protection. This was subsequently demolished in 1861, which left the ginkgo standing alone. This specimen is a multistemmed tree, probably due to the transplanting and moving early in its life which may have accounted for it losing its growing point. Past curators of the Gardens recall the tree being grown against the wall of the great stove where it 'was trained like a fruit tree'.

Other instances of maidenhair trees being trained in this way have been reported. Several Ginkgo were planted at Kew in 1773 under the direction of Sir Joseph Banks. In 2002 it became one of the 50 'Great British Trees' in a scheme run by the Tree Council to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Kew's 'Old Lions' A Ginkgo biloba, one of Kew's 'Old Lions', west of the Princess of Wales Conservatory Kew’s ‘Old Lions’ are some of the few remaining trees with the oldest actual known planting date of 1762. They comprise: Ginkgo biloba (maidenhair tree), Styphnolobium japonicum (pagoda tree) and Platanus orientalis (oriental plane) to the west of the Princess of Wales Conservatory; Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) on the lawn to the front of the Orangery; and Zelkova carpinifolia (Caucasian elm) situated in the Herbarium paddock.

Some of these trees were brought from a neighbouring estate at Whitton which belonged to the Duke of Argyll (the uncle of Lord Bute, the botanical advisor to Princess Augusta). They became part of a new five acre arboretum, laid out by William Aiton, which sat next to the Orangery. Now, 250 years after these trees were planted, Kew is celebrating the ‘Old Lions’, which can be seen in all their splendour, still growing in the Gardens. Conservation assessments carried out at Kew Ginkgo biloba is being monitored as part of the IUCN Sampled Red List Index for Plants, which aims to produce conservation assessments for a representative sample of the world’s plant species. This information will then be used to monitor trends in extinction risk and help focus conservation efforts where they are needed most. References and credits Ginkgo | Define Ginkgo at Dictionary.com ginkgo [ging-koh, jing-] /ˈgɪŋ koʊ, ˈdʒɪŋ-/ Spell noun, plural ginkgoes. 1.

a large shade tree, Ginkgo biloba, native to China, having fan-shaped leaves and fleshy seeds with edible kernels: the sole surviving species of the gymnosperm family Ginkgoaceae, which thrived in the Jurassic Period, and existing almost exclusively in cultivation. Expand 1765-75; < NL representation of Japanese ginkyō, equivalent to gin silver (< Chinese) + kyō apricot (< Chin) Dictionary.com Unabridged Examples from the Web for ginkgo Expand The Romance of Plant Life G. F. Scott Elliot The Japanese ginkgo, or maidenhair fern tree, is an old-fashioned conifer somewhat like those first examples of this family. Release Date: October 10, 2004 [eBook #13694] Christopher Darlington Morley Leaf impressions of ginkgo are found in rocks of nearly all ages back even to the Upper Palæozoic. Ancient Plants Marie C. Stopes To him is credited the introduction of the ginkgo tree and the Lombardy poplar to America. The Romance of Plant Life G. F.

Scott Elliot This is not the place to discuss in detail the past history of ginkgo (see Palaeobotany: Mesozoic). British Dictionary definitions for ginkgo Expand noun (pl) -goes, -koes 1. a widely planted ornamental Chinese gymnosperm tree, Ginkgo biloba, with fan-shaped deciduous leaves and fleshy yellow fruit: phylum Ginkgophyta. It is used in herbal remedies and as a food supplement Also called maidenhair tree Word Origin C18: from Japanese ginkyō, from Ancient Chinese yin silver + hang apricot Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Word Origin and History for ginkgo Expand n.

1773, from Japanese ginkyo, from Chinese yin-hing, from yin "silver" + hing "apricot" (Sino-Japanese kyo). Introduced to New World 1784 by William Hamilton in his garden near Philadelphia. Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper ginkgo also gingko (gĭng'kō) A deciduous, dioecious tree (Ginkgo biloba) which is the sole surviving member of the Ginkgoales, an order of gymnosperms that was extremely widespread in the Mesozoic era. It belongs to a genus which has changed very little since the end of the Jurassic period. The tree, a native of China, has fan-shaped leaves and fleshy yellowish seeds containing a edible kernel. Ginkgoes are often grown as ornamental street trees. The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.

Ginkgo: The Life Story of The Oldest Tree on Earth by Roger Cohn: Yale Environment 360 Ginkgo: The Life Story of The Oldest Tree on Earth Revered for its beauty and its longevity, the ginkgo is a living fossil, unchanged for more than 200 million years. Botanist Peter Crane, who has a written what he calls a biography of this unique tree, talks to Yale Environment 360 about the inspiring history and cultural significance of the ginkgo. by roger cohn Millions of urban dwellers know the ginkgo primarily as a street tree, with elegant, fan-shaped leaves, foul-smelling fruits, and nuts prized for their reputed medicinal properties. But botanist Peter Crane sees the ginkgo as much more — an oddity in nature because it is a single species with no known living relatives; a living fossil that has been essentially unchanged for more than 200 million years; and an inspiring example of how humans can help a species survive.

Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies Peter Crane Crane, who is dean of the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, has written what he describes as a biography of the oldest tree on earth, a living link to the age of the dinosaurs. His new book, Ginkgo , tells the story of a tree that over centuries has made its way from China across Asia and around the world and today is found along streets everywhere from Seoul to New York. In an interview with Yale Environment 360, Crane explains what makes the ginkgo unique and what makes it smell, how its toughness and resilience has enabled it to thrive, and what the tree’s long history says about human life on earth. The ginkgo, which co-existed with the dinosaurs, “really puts our own species — let alone our individual existence — into a broader context,” says Crane. Yale Environment 360: You’ve been studying ginkgo trees for a long time. How did you come to develop an interest in them? Peter Crane: I think that anyone who is seriously interested in plants inevitably comes across ginkgo pretty early in their training, because there are only five living groups of seed plants, and ginkgo is one of them.

And ginkgo is the only one that consists of just one species. So it’s an important plant in any botanist’s view of the plant world — you inevitably run across it early in your training. The other thing is that it has such a distinctive leaf — once you see it, you don’t forget it. It’s thoroughly memorable. e360: You’ve mentioned that ginkgo is something of a biological oddity in that it’s a single species with no living relatives. That’s somewhat unusual in the plant and animal world, isn’t it? AJYI Ginkgo leaves in the autumn. Crane: Yes. When we think about flowering plants, there are about 350,000 living species. And in an evolutionary sense, they’re equivalent to that one species of ginkgo. They’re all more closely related to each other than they are to anything else. But the ginkgo is solitary and unique, not very obviously related to any living plant. One of the points I wanted to draw out in the book is that in the past there were a variety of ginkgo-like plants, but this is the only one surviving.

e360: You describe the ginkgo as a “living fossil,” in the sense that in many ways it’s unchanged in more than 200 million years. How do we know that? Crane: If you look at fossils from more than 200 million years ago, you can see leaves that are very very similar to modern ginkgo leaves. But you have to look more closely to really assess whether those leaves were produced by plants that are identical to modern ginkgo. And that work has been done now, by my colleague [Chinese paleobotanist] Zhou Zhiyan, who has worked on fossil material from China. And what he’s noticed is that there are some differences in the ways that the seeds are attached in these fossil plants — but in the grand scheme of things, they’re not very different. With the fossils that I’ve worked on myself, from about 65 million years ago, we were able to determine exactly how the seeds were attached to the plant, and they were attached in an identical way to modern ginkgo. If we could go back in a time machine, maybe we would find some differences, but I suspect not. e360: And the oldest fossil record?

Crane: A little over 200 million years old. So it is a good example of a living fossil, like the coelacanth, which has also changed very little over millions of years. e360: Most of us know ginkgo from its very distinctive, fan-shaped leaves, and also from its very distinctive smell. What is with the smell? Crane: It’s the outer part of the seed that produces the smell, and it smells, to put it bluntly, like vomit. More than likely, it reflects some sort of The ginkgo is ‘just a tough old tree, and it is incredibly widely planted.’ adaptation or modification in its dispersal biology. Probably either now or in the past the smell has been attractive to animals. You hear stories of dogs, for example, eating ginkgo seeds — sometimes with not a terribly happy outcome in that they don’t feel so good afterward. But it must be part of a dispersal system. The interesting question is, are the things that adapted to disperse it still around? Or are they extinct?

There’s this wonderful idea that [Daniel] Janzen and [Paul] Martin published about how many neo-tropical fruits don’t appear to have any dispersers in the contemporary fauna. And their idea was that as many large mammals went extinct about 10,000 years ago, many plants actually lost their most important dispersal agents. So in a sense, the plants have continued to live on, while the dispersers themselves have already gone extinct. e360: So their theory would say that the ginkgo smell would have attracted dinosaurs to eat it? Crane: Yes, or more likely some mammals that died out much more recently. But the idea is that the tree now could be out of phase with its dispersal agents. There are records of the seeds being eaten by badgers and so on, and as I talk to people it’s clear that the seeds do still move around. So something’s moving them. And you know, the seeds are very attractive — once that smell’s gone, they look a bit like a pistachio. And they have a nice nutritious meat in them, so they would attract animals like squirrels. e360: When are the seeds on the ground? Is that the late fall?

Ko.Yo A row of ginkgos at Yamashita Park in Yokohama, Japan. Crane: They're usually on the ground in the late fall here in temperate North America. So the trees are dropping their seeds in late November, December. And then often, what saves us from the smell is that they all freeze. e360: When was the ginkgo first cultivated by humans? Crane: Our best estimate is about 1,000 years ago in China, which is somewhat late for the cultivation of many plants in China. There’s a lot of Chinese literature from before 1,000 years ago, and it doesn’t mention ginkgo, while it does mention a lot of other plants. The evidence points to the fact that ginkgo was probably always a rather rare tree, and that it first attracted the attention of people about a thousand years ago. Probably originally as a nut — a rather unusual nut tree. And then it was moved around and grown for its nuts in China, before eventually — maybe in the 14th or 15th centuries — making its way up the coastal trade routes into Korea and Japan.

e360: And how and when did it appear in the West? Crane: The first Westerner to encounter ginkgo — or at least the first Westerner to encounter it and write about it — was Engelbert Kaempfer, who was with the Dutch East India Company at their trading station in southern Japan in 1692. When he returned, he wrote his account of his time in Japan. He is the one who first uses the word in the Western literature — ginkgo — and he provides an illustration of it. But probably living plants weren’t introduced into Europe until a few decades after that — perhaps in the 1730s, but I think more likely in the 1750s. e360: Ginkgoes have long been valued for their healing properties, their medicinal properties, particularly for helping memory. And we see today ginkgo being sold pretty widely in health food stores. Did the medicinal use of ginkgo emerge in China, and if so, how recent is its move to the West?

Crane: That’s a very interesting question, because if you look and see how ginkgo is used medicinally in China, it’s mainly the seeds that are used. Yet, ‘People who know about ginkgo through their cultural background will often seek out the trees in the fall.’ the Ginkgo biloba that you buy in health food stores here is an extract of the leaves. And this is pretty much a Western phenomenon. So this is a use that we’ve invented for it in the West, rather than a use that has come to us from China. The medicinal uses in the East and the supposed medicinal uses in the West have gone in different directions, using two different parts of the plant — mainly the seeds in the East, and mainly the leaves in the West. e360: Are there any scientific studies that looked at the efficacy of the medicinal properties, like for memory enhancement — either for the leaves or the seeds? Crane: The most work’s been done on the leaves in the West. And I think it’s true to say the results are equivocal. I don’t think there’s really strong evidence for its efficacy, but on the other hand, there are conflicting results.

There’s some evidence that it’s helpful in some ways, but the large-scale trials that we expect from our drugs these days have been unable to be really definitive about that. It’s a bit of an enigma in that respect — it’s difficult to prove its value. e360: You write in the book about how the ginkgo’s resilience has enabled it to become quite a popular street tree — it can take a lot of abuse. What makes the ginkgo so resilient as a tree? Crane: It’s hard to put a finger on what exactly does it. But the leaves are particularly unattractive to pests, so it doesn’t suffer from the pest problems that some trees do. And it seems to survive in a street setting: its roots aren’t getting much oxygen, they’re getting a lot of salt and goodness knows what else is getting poured on them, and it seems relatively resistant to those problems. So it’s just a good old tough tree, and it is incredibly widely planted. e360: How widely, and in what places is it most common? Crane: Well, it’s particularly widespread in the East: you see it all over Tokyo, you see it all over Seoul.

But you also see it all over Manhattan. Once you start to recognize ginkgo trees in the urban landscape, you start to see them everywhere. e360: You mentioned in the book that the female seeds are the ones that smell. In New York City, the parks department has a policy of planting only males? Crane: Yes. I think today most people would plant males. Most reputable nurseries will sell only males. e360: One of the things you get into in the book is the broader discussion of the importance of street trees. One of the benefits, which I had never thought about before, is how trees along a street make it feel narrower and cause drivers to go more slowly. It makes sense, but I had never thought of it. Can you describe some of the other benefits that street trees bring to a city or an urban setting? View gallery An early Western botanical illustration of Ginkgo biloba, published in Europe in 1835. Crane: I think most obviously they help reduce the urban heat island effect. They provide shade; they make the place a lot more comfortable.

But I think there are a lot of intangible benefits too: people want to walk in the shade, they want to be out in the shade. And so trees create a less sterile environment and encourage people to want to be outside, with all the benefits that come from people being out and about — from having kids playing outside, to having neighbors keep an eye on each other’s houses, to encouraging people to linger in a shopping area that they would otherwise walk right through. e360: You certainly see ginkgos everywhere, especially in New York City. You tell a story about a Harlem homeowner who has a ginkgo tree in front of her house and finds people in it regardless of the smell. Can you explain? Crane: Yes, in many places where ginkgo is planted in the West, people who’ve known ginkgo or know about ginkgo through their cultural background, will often seek out the trees in the fall and collect the seeds. Particularly with people from Korea or China or Japan, it’s quite common. You see them in Central Park [in New York]. I’ve seen them in Chicago. You see them all over. And I’m sure none of those seeds are sold into commerce.

I’m sure those seeds are used locally because people enjoy eating them. And sometimes people won’t wait for the seeds to fall. They’ll take sticks and bang them up into the branches to try to get the seeds to come down. e360: I was surprised to learn from your book that the ginkgo nut is potentially toxic? Crane: Yes, it does have some toxicity to it. It’s generally recommended that people don’t eat too many of these seeds. A small proportion of the population seems to have a bad reaction to ginkgo, but it’s a very small proportion. I’ve eaten ginkgo seeds many times. e360: You actually have an ancient species of ginkgo, Ginkgo cranei, named after you, right? Crane: Well, yes, that’s the fossil ginkgo from North Dakota that I worked on as a researcher, which a colleague quite recently very kindly named after me. But in a way it’ll be interesting to see if the name survives, because giving it a separate name implies that it’s actually different from modern ginkgo. And the study did point out a few very subtle differences. However, it remains to be seen whether those differences hold up.

So I wouldn’t be surprised to see my name get synonymized back into Ginkgo biloba at some point. e360: By distributing ginkgo around the planet, humans have, unlike with many other species, helped ensure the ginkgo’s survival. Is that the right way to look at it? Crane: Yes, I think that’s right. I think by cultivating plants like ginkgo that are very rare in the wild, we’ve sort of taken out insurance for their ‘Conservation through cultivation is an important part of the toolkit for preserving plant diversity.’ long-term survival. In China, for a long time there was a lot of discussion about whether there were any native ginkgos at all, or whether all of them had the hand of people in their past. I think the consensus now is that probably a couple of wild, original populations still exist in China. But it’s very difficult to exclude the possibility that even those have been aided by people. That is another message in the book. Obviously we should try to preserve animals and plants in their native habitats, where they’re part of a functioning integrated ecosystem.

But in the same way that we’ve used ex situ methods for conserving large mammals, charismatic animals, I think conservation through cultivation is an important part of the toolkit for preserving plant diversity for the future. e360: You’ve talked about how one of the things that drew you to learn more about the ginkgo was the sense of timelessness that its history gives you and how that helps us think about our place in the world. Crane: Obviously, we’re evolved to live in the present, so we’re very focused on the short-term. One of our biggest shortcomings is that we can’t see the long-term, and we see that in the way we respond to all kinds of environmental issues. So reflecting on a plant like ginkgo that was around in very different ecosystems when the dinosaurs were on the planet, that has been around for hundreds of millions of years, really puts our own species — let alone our own individual existence — into a broader context. It’s a bit like those diagrams that you see, where there’s a picture of the Milky Way and there’s a little sign that says, “You are here.” Well, it’s the same idea. Guess what? We’re not at the center of everything. And guess what?

The universe doesn’t revolve around us. And guess what? We’re only here for a short time, whereas some things have been here for a really long time. That ought to encourage us to take the long view as we think about our relationship to the natural world. Phylum Ginkgophyta Flora of Southwest Virginia Phylum Ginkgophyta Ginkgo biloba is the only living species in this group of seed-bearing plants, although the "ginkgophytes" are known in the fossil record dating back to the last period of the Paleozoic Era. The group reached its apparent height of diversity and distribution in the Mesozoic Era with fossils known virtually world-wide. The common name for this species is the "Ginkgo" or the "maidenhair tree". Although commonly planted and cultivated, Ginkgos are not native to Wise County. In fact, whether or not there are any remaining wild populations anywhere in the world, continues to be an unsettled question. It may be that the species owes its current existence to cultivation. Ginkgo biloba is a dioecious species, meaning that male and female reproductive structures are produced on separate trees.

The fleshy seed coatings produced on female Ginkgos produce butyric acid. This compound is also produced by some anaerobic bacteria in animal digestive tracts and is responsible (in part) for the "distinctive" smell of vomit. For this reason, female Ginkgo trees are considered (by some) to be less desirable for cultivation than their male counterparts. Click on one of the species names below to view image Family Ginkgoaceae Angiosperm or Gymnosperm? FORSite > Contents > Tree Identification >Type (1 of 2) Angiosperm or Gymnosperm? When identifying trees, you will need to determine whether they are conifers or deciduous trees. --Gymnosperms are a taxonomic class that includes plants whose seeds are not enclosed in an ovule (like a pine cone). Gymnosperm means as "naked seed". This group is often referred to as softwoods. Gymnosperms usually have needles that stay green throughout the year. Examples are pines, cedars, spruces and firs. Some gymnosperms do drop their leaves - ginkgo, dawn redwood, and baldcypress, to name a few.

--Angiosperms are a taxonomic class of plants in which the mature seed is surrounded by the ovule (think of an apple). This group is often referred to as hardwoods. Angiosperms are trees have broad leaves that usually change color and die every autumn. Oaks, maples and dogwoods are examples of deciduous trees. Some angiosperms that hold their leaves include rhododendron, live oak, and sweetbay magnolia. Can you guess these tree types from the pictures below? Deciduous or conifer? Click the buttons below each picture to find out. * Table to the left shows classifications for Ginkgo biloba. Descriptions of each classification are listed below. Domain: Eukarya The organism Ginkgo biloba belongs in the domain called Eukarya. The prefix “eu-“ means “true” and “-karya” means “nucleus.” Therefore, Ginkgo biloba has a true nucleus (complete with genetic material) and membrane bound organelles. (Another example of an organism that is a eukaryote is the Damselfly .) Kingdom: Plantae Kingdom Plantae is a group of multicellular, mostly photosynthetic organisms that are sessile.

The word “plant” comes from the Latin word “plantae.” (An example of a plant, other than the Ginkgo tree, is Aloe Vera .) Phylum: Ginkgophyta Ginkgophyta is a phylum used to describe seed-bearing or pollen-bearing deciduous plants that lack flowers and fruiting structures. Also, the plants are usually dioecious and still have flagellated sperm cells. It is believed that the Ginkgophytes provide a link from the Pterophytes (seedless, vascular plants) to the Anthophyta (flowering plants). *Figure 1 (above) shows the classification for Ginkgo biloba from domain to phylum based on molecular and morphological data. Class: Ginkgoopsida The Class Ginkgoopsida refers to plants from the Phylum Ginkgophyta that have either strap-shaped or fan-shaped leaves ( GLOSSARY ). These plants are also dioecious, having the XX or XY chromosomes on different plants making each Ginkgo tree male or female.

Order: Ginkgoales Scientists are having a very hard time finding information specifically related to the Order Ginkgoales because they can only do research on the one species remaining (Ginkgo biloba) or on fossil records. Fossil records are proving to be hard to distinguish certain characteristics about this exact order because they are about 200 million years old. The species of Ginkgoales are usually very diverse, making it hard to classify them as well. Click HERE to visit a superb online journal article regarding more in-depth details of the dispute surrounding the Order Ginkgoales. *Diagram above depicts the classification for Ginkgo biloba from class to species. Family: Ginkgoaceae In order to be part of the Family Ginkgoaceae, the plant(s) in question typically exhibits dichotomous veins, or veins that branch by dividing into two equal parts. Also, the pollen is usually produced in a stamen-like structure, and the outer covering on the seeds (produced by the female plant) have a putrid smell. Genus: Ginkgo Some characteristics that define the genus Ginkgo are broad (typically triangularly shaped) leaves and the seeds are produced on the end of a shoot.

The leaves of the genus Ginkgo are usually found coming out of the short shoot and the short shoots are branched from the longer shoots. Species: Ginkgo biloba The specific species Ginkgo biloba is most commonly characterized by the appearance of its leaves. It wasn’t until 1771 that the species was defined as “biloba” by Linnaeus; bi- meaning two, and loba- meaning lobes. The Ginkgo tree is sometimes termed Ginkgo biloba L. or Ginkgo biloba Linnaeus, in reference to the scientist who defined the leaves. *Reference the picture on left to see what scientists mean when they say "biloba" or "two lobes."

Question: Of what is 'gingko' an example?
Answer: A Tree